More on diet issues - why The Mediterranean Diet works

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Bill Glasheen
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More on diet issues - why The Mediterranean Diet works

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The recent flurry of posts started with me posting about the unfortunate finding that artificial sweeteners weren't all that we hoped they were. Ironically people who consumed them in quantity weren't seeing results in low blood sugar. And why? It appears that the problem is with the gut bacteria we need and live with every day. These artificial ingredients appear to encourage some bad actors in our system. The effect can be reversed with antibiotics, but we don't want to go there. And perhaps consumption of "good" bacteria (a.k.a. myriad mixes of probiotics) might counteract this. It's all still theoretical at this point.

That led to Susan indirectly giving me a hard time. She knows of my love for Diet Dews, and thinks all that chemical stuff is poison. This then led to a concession by me that she could be right, but I would ask her also to put sugar and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) on that list of "poisons." A 90-minute medical school lecture by Robert Lustig shows the biochemistry. Fructose is the simple sugar we want to stay away from, and it's a majority component of both HFCS and table sugar (sucrose).

But there is that sweet tooth we need to deal with. What to do? In discussing this with Van, I highlighted the idea that *denial* wasn't the answer. Rather my philosophy on diet is to substitute something new and yummy for something you want to remove from your plate. And what example did I give? Following The Mediterranean Diet.

And wouldn't you know... the timing was exquisite. We have more good results from those Harvard people who study nurses. These nurses who volunteer to be monitored are saints, and the folks who use the data on them for investigation produce lots of good stuff.

This today from Forbes magazine. It's all about the telomere, or the end of our DNA strands. Our cells can only divide so many times before those DNA ends are shortened too much. Then it's over.

..... A Link Between A Mediterranean Diet And A Long Life
Why would a Mediterranean diet protect the telomere from shrinking? It seems to have to do with the reduction of inflammation and oxidative stress, which are both known to speed up telomere shrinkage over time. We do things every day that contribute to oxidative stress and inflammation: Smoking, being obese, and eating a high-sugar diet are all linked to shorter telomeres. The antioxidants in the Mediterranean diet are thought to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in our cells, possibly leading to a healthier telomere.
If you look at the detail of the Mediterranean Diet articulated in this article, it's completely consistent with things that I both practice and preach. It's all good stuff. The difference between yesterday and today is that scientists are starting to unravel the mechanisms behind why this antioxidant-rich diet causes people to live well and live longer.

Bon appetite!

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Bill Glasheen
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Re: More on diet issues - why The Mediterranean Diet works

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Bill Glasheen
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Re: More on diet issues - why The Mediterranean Diet works

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From the original study...
BMJ wrote: Abstract

Objective
To examine whether adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with longer telomere length, a biomarker of aging.

Design
Population based cohort study.

Setting
Nurses’ Health Study, an ongoing prospective cohort study of 121 700 nurses enrolled in 1976; in 1989-90 a subset of 32 825 women provided blood samples.

Participants
4676 disease-free women from nested case-control studies within the Nurses’ Health Study with telomere length measured who also completed food frequency questionnaires.

Main outcome measure
Association between relative telomere lengths in peripheral blood leukocytes measured by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction and Alternate Mediterranean Diet score calculated from self reported dietary data.

Results
Greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with longer telomeres after adjustment for potential confounders. Least squares mean telomere length z scores were −0.038 (SE 0.035) for the lowest Mediterranean diet score groups and 0.072 (0.030) for the highest group (P for trend=0.004).

Conclusion
In this large study, greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with longer telomeres. These results further support the benefits of adherence to the Mediterranean diet for promoting health and longevity.
- Mediterranean diet and telomere length in Nurses’ Health Study: population based cohort study
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Re: More on diet issues - why The Mediterranean Diet works

Post by gmattson »

Bill:
Sue and I try to eat fish at least 2 times a week. We used to eat more fish than meat, until we heard how much mercury we consume eating ANY type of fish . . . Farm bred or other. What say you? Since it is the only "meat" on your page showing the mediterranean diet, wondering if the fish warning is real.

thanks.
GEM
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maxwell ainley
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Re: More on diet issues - why The Mediterranean Diet works

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Last time at doctors ,1968 with nose bleeds ,I am pretty close to the med diet .
max ainley
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Bill Glasheen
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Re: More on diet issues - why The Mediterranean Diet works

Post by Bill Glasheen »

gmattson wrote:Bill:
Sue and I try to eat fish at least 2 times a week. We used to eat more fish than meat, until we heard how much mercury we consume eating ANY type of fish . . . Farm bred or other. What say you? Since it is the only "meat" on your page showing the mediterranean diet, wondering if the fish warning is real.

thanks.
All (100%) of food has contaminants - some more than others. The trick is to eat a variety, and make better choices.

Here's a good source for you, George.

..... Consumer Guide to Mercury in Fish

Enjoy your fish! Just make the right choices.

I miss swordfish... but not enough to put myself at risk of mercury exposure.

As for PCBs and other contaminants in farmed fish... Just make sure you buy your farmed fish from reputable sources. Whole Foods is the best - right down to the food sources they use (natural yeast) to color the salmon.

- Bill
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Bill Glasheen
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Re: More on diet issues - why The Mediterranean Diet works

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Perhaps you missed this within the Forbes article, George. Go through this slide show (12 slides)

..... A Quick Guide to The Mediterranean Diet

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